THE oldest cat at Dudley Zoo has died this morning (Monday).

Bart, the 22-year-old Geoffroy’s cat, was put to sleep this morning after his health had deteriorated in the last few days.

Curator, Richard Brown, said: “Bart had surpassed the life expectancy of a captive wild cat by more than two years and he was even the oldest one of his species in Europe but he was showing his old age, so the decision was the kindest thing for him.

“He’s been here at Dudley Zoo for 17 years, so he’ll be missed as he was quite a character.”

Geoffroy’s cats are the size of a domestic cat and are found in South America, where they usually live for approximately 18 years.